


Missing puzzle piece

by leefrecklix



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Non-Explicit Sex, SO MUCH FLUFF, Time Skips, fluff with a tiny bit of angst, this is soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:54:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28451958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leefrecklix/pseuds/leefrecklix
Summary: Hyunjin couldn’t believe that the boy he met 10 years ago and hated at first sight was now his fiancé. Their journey was never easy, but Hyunjin knew, every single step of the road, that Changbin was the one for him.(or: a journey through hyunjin and changbin's relationship)
Relationships: Bang Chan & Lee Felix, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin/Seo Changbin, Kim Seungmin/ Choi Beomgyu
Comments: 16
Kudos: 86





	Missing puzzle piece

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ppacespearb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ppacespearb/gifts).



> for lola, my absolute sunshine and soulmate.

“Jinnie, you’re ready? The ceremony starts in 15 minutes.”

Hyunjin couldn’t believe it, but he was more than ready to marry the love of his life in 15 minutes. He thought he would be a mess today, crying everytime he remembered that he would end the day being married to the man he loved the most, but he is surprisingly calm. 

His white suit is on, his hair and makeup are done and he has to admit, he looks like he came straight out of a Disney fairytale. When he asked Felix to be his and his fiancé’s make up artist he knew his best friend would do something incredible, but now, seeing the cute sparkles in his eyes and the perfectly blended eyeshadow and how naturally red his lips were, he knew he had to give his friend a bonus. He couldn’t wait to see what Changbin looked like.

Hyunjin couldn’t believe that the boy he met 10 years ago and hated at first sight was now his fiancé. Their journey was never easy, but Hyunjin knew, every single step of the road, that Changbin was the one for him. He always considered himself a terrible picker and he was way too indecisive for his own good, as Jisung pointed out infinite times before, but he knew, maybe not from day one, but soon after that, that he would choose Changbin forever and ever, until the end of times.

“Jin, we need to go now”, Jisung said from the other side of the door. Hyunjin took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror. That was the last time he would be looking at himself without a shiny golden ring on his left finger.

_10 years ago_

“I’m still not sure why Jisung insists on singing in the dirtier bars in this town”, Hyunjin complained as he, Felix and Seungmin got inside the place. It was dark, as always and everybody seemed to have received the same memo about the dress code: all black, with clothes with at least 5 different holes, with one of them in a very non-flattering place and looking like they would crush your skull if you stared too much.

That was Jisung’s 5th gig as the bassist of a band he found in their college. Hyunjin knew it was an old dream of his to be a rock star, Jisung played the bass since he was a little child and Hyunjin always felt bad declining Jisung’s countless requests to form a band with him, Felix and Seungmin. None of the other boys played any instruments, but 11 year-old Jisung didn’t think of that as a big issue.

Nonetheless, the four of them have always been the best of friends. They met in school and clicked instantly, Jisung with his loud nature, Felix being extremely bubbly, Hyunjin, who just got attracted to where the chaos was and Seungmin always trying to make sure that hell didn’t break loose around them. 

That dynamic remained the same until they got into college and then adult life came crashing down on them and forced the chaos to be tamed. Hyunjin started studying architecture, Felix got into design, Seungmin was accepted at med school and Jisung chased a communication degree. 

Hyunjin and Jisung managed to be roommates, with Seungmin, Felix and their roommates just across the hall. Despite the proximity, they barely had time to see each other. Hyunjin knew college would be filled with exams, essays, piles and piles of research and loads of stress, but his reality was just worse.

Whoever said college life would be party after party and crazy years either was a horrible student or a genius in disguise with perfect time management. Hyunjin barely even knew the people he studied with and he considered the cute barista at the coffee shop near his 8am classes, Jeongin, his closest friend after his golden trio.

After Jisung somehow found that band, Hyunjin’s social life went from “super dead” to “slightly less dead, but seems like it is deadlier than before”. Hyunjin and the boys went to all the gigs and they even went to some of the rehearsals. There, he met Chan, their vocalist and guitarist, Minho, the really hot drummer and Changbin, the other guitarist who always looked 100% mad about everything.

Hyunjin hated the guy.

He never once replied to his hellos and, one time, when Hyunjin came to get Jisung in a rainy day because the dumbass of his best friend forgot the umbrella, Changbin was even ruder than ever and asked him “what the fuck are you doing here?”. Hyunjin liked to consider himself an easy going person, he managed to befriend the rest of the band and their staff, but he absolutely despised Changbin.

After they silently agreed to be arch nemesis, going to those concerts was fun. He, Felix and Seungmin yelled at all the songs, they were always the happiest in those crowds and got everybody around them happy as well. They became the official number 1 fans of the band, Felix and Chan got closer and Hyunjin was sure he saw Jisung and Minho making out at the backstage after their 4th gig.

Hyunjin really enjoyed those concerts, but he hated the bars they performed. This bar, in specific, was grosser than the previous ones. The closer he and his friends got to the front of the stage, the stickier the floor got. Hyunjin wasn’t sure if that was beer that fell during the crazier concerts, sweat and other bodily fluid (he really hoped it was just sweat), vomit or what, but the floor of the bar felt like quicksand.

Hyunjin knew the band would be the third to perform and they would leave right after it and enjoy a cozy after party at Chan and Minho’s place (they were still at college with them, but they already had jobs that pay real money, so they could afford a house outside campus). Hyunjin had never been there before, but Jisung said it was a nice place and they had cats, so Hyunjin got excited with the prospect of getting drunk and enjoying his night with a fluffy creature in his lap. 

“I’m gonna get something for us to drink, save me a spot?”, Felix asked. Seungmin nodded and the blonde left for the bar.

“Man, I really need to get drunk tonight. I feel like I’m going to explode by the end of this week”, Seungmin muttered. Hyunjin knew his friend was exhausted and was shocked to see he actually wanted to watch the concert.

“Same. I had three exams this week, I don’t even know how Jisung found the time to rehearse and still get decent grades.”

‘He’s not human, that’s the only explanation”, Seungmin laughed.

Felix returned with three drinks in hand and the boys enjoyed their small talk while the first band was setting the stage and more fans filled the dingy bar. Hyunjin was feeling more and more uncomfortable at the place, but once the music started he would feel better.

The first band was okay, most people in the crowd didn’t know their songs, but Hyunjin, Seungmin and Felix cheered as if they were long time fans. The band seemed grateful for them and the drummer gave Felix a drumstick and a wink. Felix got red with that. The second band sang dark heavy metal, with songs filled with lyrics talking about death and Seungmin was enjoying that very much. Finals week really changes people.

Then, it was Jisung’s turn. Hyunjin loved to see how comfortable his best friend looked at the stage, how that was his element and how music changed him. The band was by far the most known of the night, their Youtube channel gathered thousands of views in every lyric video  
and their Instagram was gaining attention as well. 

Hyunjin allowed himself to let loose for a while and he and his best friends sang to every single song, Hyunjin even danced with some strangers near them. The room was filled with energy and everybody seemed to be having a great time. Jisung was glowing on the stage and Chan hadn’t stopped smiling for one second. Minho was having a great time, the drum getting louder and louder at each song and even Changbin seemed happy, that was new. 

When their set ended, the entire bar was yelling and asking them to stay. They had to leave, there were other bands scheduled, but Chan thanked them all and signaled to Felix and the boys to go backstage. Hyunjin was never allowed backstage, even when he tried to tell one of the securities that he was Jisung’s roommate, he had a right to go backstage, they were basically family. His pleas got him no result, but when Felix said “Hey, I know Chan”, this security allowed them backstage right away.

Backstage, as expected, was a mess. There were a lot of instruments and equipment scattered across the floor, not enough rooms or space for so many bands, but somehow, Jisung’s band had a separate room. The boys walked inside the area and found Minho changing his shirt, Jisung drinking so much water he might drown, Chan was putting his guitar away and Changbin was just chilling on the couch.

“You guys killed it tonight!”, Felix said, jumping on Chan.

“Thanks, Lix. And thank you for being our best fans, it’s really nice seeing you sing our songs. You guys know the lyrics better than Jisung”, Chan joked.

“Hey!”, Jisung yelled.

“It’s true though”, Minho said, looking fondly at the younger boy.

“I wrote most of those lyrics, I have a pass for forgetting them.”

“That literally just means that you should be the one to know them, Sung”, Seungmin added.

“This is bullying, I’m revoking your rights to come to our concerts for free.”

“Most of your shows are free, Jisung”, Hyunjin joined the banter.

“For now! One day, we will perform in the biggest arenas and people will fight for our tickets and you guys will be thinking ‘oh, if only we were nice to Jisung when we were young, we could be seated in the VIP area right now, but oh no, we’re at home, alone and miserable while he is out there being the hottest bassist in the world and breaking records and we’re just sad’”, Jisung ended his monologue with a pout.

“You guys have permanent access to the VIP areas of our concerts”, Chan announced.

Hyunjin laughed. It was always nice with those boys, Hyunjin was happy with how fast he connected with Chan and Minho. They gathered their stuff and left in the van Chan rented out for the night. The backseats were nonexistent, they needed the extra space to fit all their instruments (thank God Jisung didn’t bring his drum set), so Felix, Minho, Hyunjin and Jisung were just seating in whatever free space they found in the back of the van. 

The ride wasn’t a long one, they were talking the entire time and even Changbin joined their conversation every now and then. It was a nice, light night and Hyunjin felt a lot less stressed in the couple hours he spent with those boys than he felt the entire month.

Minho and Chan’s house wasn’t a big one, but it was cozy. Hyunjin claimed a spot on the couch, with Seungmin and Changbin joining him, Jisung sat on the floor next to Minho and Felix and Chan were sitting together in the armchair. They were definitely a thing now, with the way Chan looked at Felix and how touchy and soft Felix was with the older, but Hyunjin wouldn’t pry.

Felix never had an intense love life, and seeing him being so happy and comfortable with someone was a good sight. Hyunjin didn’t know Chan that much, but he knew he would never purposely hurt Felix, so that’s what mattered to him.

Seungmin kept his promise and got drunk first. He was a lightweight and he had the horrible habit of passing out when he reached his limit. Hyunjin knew he was getting close by the way he was almost cuddling him. Hyunjin tried to give him some water to drink, but the boy just whined and said he didn’t want to be responsible for one night, so Hyunjin allowed him to make horrible decisions just once.

They decided to watch a movie and drink. Minho got his cat, Soonie, out of his bedroom and Jisung stole the kitten. Felix fell asleep in the first quarter of the movie in Chan’s lap, the older boy playing with his hair and kissing his temple from time to time. After the first death on screen, Chan decided to recede to his bedroom, so Felix wouldn’t wake up and he was also getting sleepy. 

Minho and Jisung were full on cuddling on the armchair now, the cat sitting comfortably in Jisung’s lap. Seungmin fell asleep with his head on Hyunjin’s shoulder and the boy wouldn’t dare move and disrupt his so needed sleep.

“I fucking hate couples”, Changbin sighed.

“Get used to it”, Minho said. Jisung got shocked by his words and Minho smirked.

“We’re not a couple”, Hyunjin said.

“You sure?”, Changbin asked, his eyebrow raising.

“Yeah, why? You jealous?”, Hyunjin couldn’t help but be snarky.

Changbin blushed. 

Oh, so Changbin had a crush on Seungmin? That could explain why he was so cold towards Hyunjin, the two of them were extremely attached and Seungmin allowed Hyunjin to be touchy with him. That made sense. Right?

By the end of the movie, Changbin got up and said he had to leave. Minho asked if Jisung, drowsy and sleepy, wanted to stay over and the boy agreed. Hyunjin didn’t feel like sleeping on his own, so he woke Seungmin up and they got back to his dorm room together. Hyunjin felt like a puzzle piece was placed on a messy puzzle that night.

Changbin liked Seungmin, Felix and Chan were definitely dating and Jisung’s crush on Minho wasn’t so one sided as he whined to Hyunjin that it was. He felt a bit lonely by the thought of all his friends dating, but he knew their happiness had to come first.

He fell asleep with Seungmin in his eyes and a weird feeling in heart.

_1 month later_

Freedom. 

Holiday season always made Hyunjin’s heart happy. He loved seeing places decorated for Christmas, loved when his parents sent him photos of his dog in Christmas sweaters and he loved Christmas themed drinks.

By now, Felix and Chan announced to all their friends they were a couple and everybody cheered for them. Felix was happier than usual, and that was barely possible as it was, and Chan was also giggler than before. Minho and Jisung were “knowing each other”, but Jisung spent more time with Minho than with his own roommate. 

The band was on a small break, so Hyunjin barely saw Changbin during the month. He knew the older was a good student, so he was probably doing some academic work and couldn’t hang out with the rest of the group as much.

Hyunjin walked inside his favourite coffee shop, Jeongin was wearing a cute Santa hat and making someone else’s order. Hyunjin was reading the menu when another barista marched to the counter. 

Changbin.

Oh.

“Hmm, hi. Can I have a Christmas special chocolate?”, Hyunjin ordered.

“Sure”, Changbin didn’t even spare him a look.

“Thanks, Changbin”, Hyunjin gave him his card to pay for his drink. When the older heard his name, he looked up.

“Oh, hey Hyunjin. You can choose a seat, I’ll bring your drink for you.”

That was new. As far as Hyunjin knew, baristas didn’t attend customers in their tables, but he did as Changbin requested. 

He picked a table at the corner of the shop, where Changbin could still find him but was slightly hidden. He picked his phone and started scrolling through Instagram. Felix has made it Instagram official that he and Chan were dating, posting a cute photo of the older in a park, full smile and dimple on display. The caption was a simple black heart and Chan commented right below with a pink one. Hyunjin liked the photo, as well as Chan’s comment and wrote “relationship goals”.

Being “less coupley”, Jisung posted a Stories of Minho playing with his cat in his bed, the orange kitten in his chest and smiling brightly. Jisung didn’t caption anything, but Hyunjin knew the other would send him a photo of Minho later with all the hearts available on the keyboard.

Minho also posted a photo of Jisung, the younger holding his hand while looking at Soonie in the bed. It was cute.

He was so absorbed in his friends being adorable he didn’t see Changbin walking towards his table with his chocolate and a cake in hand. Changbin placed both items on the table and took a seat in front of a frowning Hyunjin.

“I didn’t order that.”

“I know. This is an apology cake. I know I hadn’t been the most pleasant person this last few months and I can’t say anything other than I had some family related issues and took them out on everybody around me. I know you’re a nice guy and seeing you so uncomfortable around me made me realize I had, probably, fucked up a chance for us to be friends. So, I’m sorry”, Changbin said all that in one breath.

“Changbin, is okay. I won’t deny you were rude to me on multiple occasions, but I understand. And also, it may not be so nice seeing your crush being touchy with somebody else, so I get why you may not liked me in the first place”

“... What are you talking about?”, Changbin looked genuinely confused.

“Oh, that night we were all hanging out at Chan's, I realized you may like Seungmin, and I know the two of us are very clingy and I know that seeing that may have made you feel sad? So I get it if you didn’t like me because I’m good friends with Minnie”

“Literally where did you get that from?”

“Hm… You asked if we were a couple?”

“Because I literally thought the two of you were!”, he was laughing. “I asked Jisung if the two of you were dating before and he snorted, not a good answer at all, and seeing you two cuddle just made me wonder again. I don’t have a crush on Seungmin”, he answered in a defensive tone.

“Oh, okay, cool. But just to make it crystal clear: we’re not dating, we never did. He’s just my best friend along with Jisung and Felix.”

“But you did date Jisung in the past”, Changbin stated.

“What, he mentioned that? We literally kissed like, three times to make sure we liked guys, it was an experiment!”

“Okay, fair. So, you’re not dating Seungmin and you didn’t date Jisung. Are you a hard guy to catch, Hwang Hyunjin?”

Hyunjin didn’t know if he was curious or flirting.

“I don’t know how to answer that. I think I am, I have high standards”

“Nice”, Changbin was smiling.

“Changbin, I need help”, Jeongin called him from the front.

“I have to go. Enjoy the cake”, and he left with a wink.

Hyunjin was so confused. He was sure the older boy liked Seungmin, but now his puzzle got even more cryptic and he didn’t know what to do with those pieces.

_Now_

Changbin insisted on waiting for Hyunjin down the aisle. Hyunjin tried to argue but Changbin just said that he “would always wait for Jinnie, plus I need to be sure you will actually come”. They decided that Hyunjin would wear a white suit and Changbin could wear a black suit if he wanted. In the end, Hyunjin had no idea what color his fiancé chose to wear, but he knew it fitted the colors they chose for the ceremony, white, pink and pastel yellow.

The thought that Changbin could choose a yellow suit made Hyunjin shiver. The older would absolutely choose a yellow suit. 

“You look good, Jinnie”, Seungmin said. 

Hyunjin chose Seungmin, Jisung and Felix as his best men, whilst Changbin chose Chan, Minho and Wooyoung. He knew his fiancé's best men were already in the aisle with him, so now it was just him and his best friends. 

The three of them were beautiful black silk suits, each of them had a flower in their lapels with one of the colors Hyunjin chose. Felix had a baby pink carnation, Jisung had a daisy and Seungmin a yellow rose. They looked really good too, their hairs styled and Felix added some shimmer in all of their eyes.

Felix and Seungmin got in position, being the first ones to walk, then Jisung and lastly Hyunjin, with a single red rose in hand. He used to hate red roses, said multiple times they were so cliche and predictable, but Changbin was a classic man with a refined and classic taste, so he stopped being a cliche hater and appreciated the beauty of the flower. 

“I still can’t believe Hyunjin is the first of us getting married. Me and Min are dating for as long as the two of you and he refuses to talk about marriage”, Jisung whined.

“You know him, he will probably propose in the worst time and make fun of you later”, Hyunjin answered. It was true, he and Changbin got together a while after Minho and Jisung and the two of them looked like a match made in Heaven.

They moved in together while Jisung was still in college, leaving Hyunjin to find a new roommate and have been living together ever since. Hyunjin knew that Minho thought that was enough married life for him, but he couldn’t blame his best friend from wanting the Real Thing (and he knew Jisung would change his last name in a heartbeat if Minho asked).

“Maybe you should propose to him”, Seungmin suggested.

“Oh yeah, then Minho would refuse just to annoy Ji”, Felix answered.

“I tried proposing to him once, he called me cute and then we had a long conversation about how marriage is a social construction and allows the Church to control us, besides the State, and he refuses having God and the State commanding him. It was useless”, Jisung whined.

“But do you really want to get married or my wedding is giving you these vibes? I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to get married before Changbin proposed”

“I don’t know. I know marriages were imposed by the State and the Church as a form of control and order, but I was never opposed to being with the love of my life forever and having the world knowing it”, Jisung answered.

“Plus you like the idea of being called mister Lee, right?”, Felix asked.

“Yeah, I would take his last name. I’m not sure if he would take mine, but I would take his”, Jisung sounded sad. 

“Talk to him later, tell him that you want to live this magic someday. I wasn’t sure if marriage would be all this fantasy that people say, but I’m feeling really happy right now. Talk to him, Ji”, Hyunjin concluded. Jisung nodded while the boys got closer to the doors of the chapel.

“I think Gyu might propose”, Seungmin said.

“What? Oh my God, that’s new”, Felix said.

Of all of them, Seungmin was the one with the most recent relationship. He didn’t have the time to date while in college and in his first years as a doctor, but two years ago a new pediatrician joined the team at the clinic he worked for and it was love at first sight. 

“Yeah, he is getting clinger and he mentioned marriage in passing the other night. I think Hyunjin’s wedding is making all of us contemplate joining the married life at some point”

“Well, that hasn’t happened to me yet”, Felix said.

“I think it might, though. Chan is a ridiculously romantic guy, I bet he will cry today”, Jisung said.

“He is, but we’re trying to take things slow this time. We don’t want to repeat past mistakes”, Felix said.

“Boys, you’re walking in one minute”, the wedding planner told them.

They all lined up, Felix going first. Hyunjin took a deep breath. In a minute, he would walk down that aisle to the love of his life and everything would change.

_9 years ago_

The last concert.

Hyunjin never thought the band would end, but the boys mutually agreed on ending the band for the sake of their careers. Jisung had missed a few shows because he was busy with college duty, Minho almost broke his wrist in one concert and Chan and Changbin were visibly exhausted trying to manage everything they had to do.

So ending the band was a sad decision, but the right one.

In the last year many things changed drastically. Chan and Felix were still dating and now Minho and Jisung were two (Jisung asked Minho to be his boyfriend when he got tired of waiting for the older boy to ask him out). Changbin and Hyunjin became good friends, they had a lot in common and got along together very well. 

Seungmin had been absent most of the time, his classes being more and more demanding and he barely had time for himself. More often than not, Seungmin crashed in Jisung and Hyunjin’s room with tear filled eyes from exhaustion and had to be cuddled until he fell asleep. Felix often joined them, too. Taking care of his best friend was definitely more important than choosing what movie to watch with his boyfriend.

Now, for the last concert, Seungmin cleared his schedule and was dead set on having a great time. Chan kept his word and the boys were granted VIP tickets on every show they made in a decent place. The days of playing in dirty bars was gone, but the dream of performing in arenas was now just a dream.

The boys had more fans now, so their last concert was exclusively theirs for once. The room was filled with emotions, from happiness and energy from the music, to tears when they thanked their fans for all the love and support. Jisung, always the cry baby, couldn’t even finish his speech before crying out loud, with Minho hugging him tight. Their relationship was out in the open and their fans were supportive, but Chan tried to keep Felix protected from the exposure.

When the concert ended, Hyunjin, Felix and Seungmin joined the band at the after party in some club. None of them were big clubbers, but every once in a while it was nice to let loose under blinding lights and good drinks.

Minho and Jisung disappeared as soon as they arrived, Chan and Felix claimed one of the booths and Seungmin found some friends, Jeongin, the cute barista, included. With all of them gone, it was just Changbin and Hyunjin.

“Do you want something to drink?”, Hyunjin asked.

“I could do some shots”, Changbin grinned. 

Despite their new found friendship, Changbin and Hyunjin never hang out alone and rarely spent time with just the two of them. They texted a lot, sometimes Changbin called him when he knew Jisung was out and Hyunjin even FaceTimed him to show him his dog when he went home once, but this was new.

Changbin flirted with him sometimes, too, but he always changed subjects and left Hyunjin wondering if the flirtations were real at all. Minho teased him more than once about how close he and Changbin were now, but Hyunjin never thought they being friends meant more than that, they being friends.

Two tequila shots later, Changbin dragged him to the dance floor. Changbin wasn’t drunk, not even near that, but he was so happy it was overflowing from him. Changbin smiling and laughing at everything was a beautiful sight and Hyunjin lost himself in his happiness. They were jumping around at some songs, they were yelling all the lyrics wrong at others and Changbin even tried to copy some choreo from a pop group at a time. 

They got more drinks, but they weren’t getting drunk. Hyunjin was definitely tipsy, depending on Changbin’s hand in his waist to walk around. They decided to get a booth when they were both too exhausted from dancing and after casually finding Minho and Jisung having an intense make out session at a wall near the dance floor. 

The sight wasn’t new, everybody in their group had seen at least once Minho and Jisung kissing. What was new was that this time Jisung was the one pressing Minho in the wall. Changbin and Hyunjin shared a surprised look and moved to the booths.

“You know, I was scared that now that the band is over you wouldn’t want to be my friend anymore”, Changbin said.

“What? But we’re already friends, you know my dog!”

Changbin laughed. “Yeah, but usually I only ever see you when you come to our rehearsals or when you come to the coffee shop, but I know you like Jeongin better”

“I mean, he is cuter”, Hyunjin teased and Changbin pouted. “Do you really think I would stop being your friend?”

“Not stop, but I thought we could drift apart. I’m sorry, I’m drunk, I shouldn’t be saying all of this”, Changbin mumbled.

“Bin, stop. Your feelings and concerns are valid”, Hyunjin scooted closer to the older boy. “But, I will not stop being your friend or let you drift apart, you became one of my closest friends this last year, I’m not letting you go”

“Good, cause I kinda don’t want to go anywhere”, Changbin smiled.

Hyunjin wasn’t sure which one of them leaned in first, but suddenly all he could think about and focus on was Changbin’s soft lips on his and how their kiss just felt right. Even when he wasn’t sure if the older was really flirting with him or not, he kinda wished he was. Changbin was sweet and caring, funny and cute and he always managed to put a smile on Hyunjin’s face. Knowing now that Changbin liked him a little bit too was dizzying and Hyunjin didn’t want the kiss to end.

He and Changbin started on the wrong foot, that’s for sure, but if he knew that the rude boy from one year ago was the same boy that made him melt with one kiss, he would’ve laughed (and prayed that it was true).

_6 months later_

“So, are you and Changbin dating now?”, Felix asked. The blonde boy was in his bed studying while Hyunjin searched for good clothes for a date he had with Changbin that night.

“I don’t know, we’re not putting labels on it.”

“It looks like the two of you are dating”, Jisung said. “He picks you up for your classes, he buys you food when you’re busy, he gives you free coffee now”

“Damn, where do I find a Changbin? Channie is soft too, but he never pick me up after classes.”

“That’s because he has a real job, Lix”, Hyunjin said. He decided that he would use a white dress shirt he had for their date tonight. Changbin didn’t say where they were going, all he said was ‘dress nicely’.

“And so does Bin!”

“But he still lives in the dorm and he works at the coffee shop for now, it’s convenient.”

“Lix, at least you got a sugar daddy, Chan pays for everything you want. The other night Minho threatened to dump me if I didn’t pay for half of our sushi.”

“Yeah, and later he made you scream so loud when he was fucking you that Chan almost got a noise report”, Felix teased.

“Sometimes I forget you’re basically living there as well”, Jisung muttered.

“And at least the two of you are getting dick. Changbin won’t even let me touch him sometimes”, Hyunjin said.

“Wait, you’re two are not fucking? I was sure that by this point you were”, Felix said.

“Nope. We basically just have heavy make out sessions and sometimes he let me give him a handjob and reciprocate after, but that’s it. No sex. I’m feeling like a virgin again”, Hyunjin whined.

“Damn, sorry, Jinnie. It must be hard to date someone hot and not be jumping on them”, Jisung said.

“It is, but he’s sweet. I know he wants to take things slow this time, his last boyfriend made him feel like he was only good for sex and now he’s kinda scared to take the next step.”

“Well, it’s good he has you as his boyfriend, then. I know that if there’s one person who would wait forever to have dick if needed, it is you”, Felix said.

“That’s so sad, but it’s true”, Jisung agreed.

“Well, I’m not his boyfriend, but thanks. Now, I have to get ready for a date. Won’t the two of you meet your boyfriends today?” 

“Channie is working, his boss asked him to go to the studio today and record a major band. I’m not sure at what time he’ll be free, but I doubt I’ll see him this weekend”, Felix whined.

“And Minho is rehearsing, he’s going on tour next month and the dancers are still lacking, he’s so fucking stressed it’s scary sometimes. But it’s mostly hot.”

Hyunjin laughed and excused himself to take a shower and get ready to go out. He was letting his hair grow and recently died part of it blonde, per Felix’s request, and Changbin loved it when he tied half of his hair up. He made a light makeup, just a bit of eyeshadow in the outer corners of his eyes, got a nice jacket and waited for the older outside his dorm building.

Changbin could afford to live elsewhere, his family was filthy rich and he was studying business to take over his family company, but Hyunjin knew he was trying to delay living his parents' expectations for now. He knew his parents hated that he worked as a barista and he knew his parents wouldn’t like the fact their son was kinda dating an architect who couldn’t even land an internship at an architecture office, but they were young, they were allowed to not have anything under control for now.

Hyunjin was deep in thought when an arm hugged him from behind and slowly turned him. Changbin was wearing a black dress shirt and a fancy leather jacket, his hair was out of his face for once and he looked so good it was nearly a crime. They kissed sweetly and Hyunjin got into Changbin’s car.

Hyunjin got used to seeing Changbin driving with only one hand. Usually, his other hand was either holding Hyunjin’s, or in his thighs or even playing with his hair. Hyunjin always said Changbin would crash the car if he didn’t use both hands to drive, but he also never let go of Changbin’s hands. They fit so good on his, his small but long fingers and the way his palm was rough in a good way.

Changbin wasn’t playing around when he asked Hyunjin to dress nicely. The older boy drove to a fancy restaurant, the kind you need to get a reservation months in advance and pray for a free spot. The staff took them to a secluded area, with less people and a very romantic and intimate vibe. Hyunjin clinged to Changbin while they were walking, completely in awe with the place. Changbin was smiling at his reactions.

The menu was otherworldly, Hyunjin didn’t understand what half of the names of the plates were and there were so many ingredients he didn’t know. Changbin fondly laughed at him and ordered some fancy pasta for the two of them, as well as some red wine. Changbin took his hands in his and had a soft smile the whole time.

“So, what do you think? I wanted to spoil you a little bit, I know you’re frustrated and stressed looking for an internship”, Changbin said.

“I love it, but you know you don’t need to spend so much just to make me smile, right?”

“I know, love, but I wanted to. You deserve it”, lately, Changbin had the habit of calling Hyunjin love or other soft pet names. Hyunjin absolutely loved them, but his conversation with his best friends came back to his mind.

“Binnie”, he asked in a small voice. “What are we?”

“What do you mean?”, Changbin asked.

“I know we’re not just friends, or I think we’re not. We spend a lot of time together, we’re always kissing and we’re just… so close. But I don’t know if we’re dating. We never even talked if we’re exclusive, which I know we are, and the boys called you my boyfriend and I just… I don’t know if I can call you that”, Hyunjin sounded so confused and timid. 

Changbin took his hands and played with his fingers.

“Do you want us to be in a relationship?”, Changbin asked in an equally small voice.

“Of course I do, I really want it.”

“Then ask me, Jin.”

“Binnie, will you be my boyfriend?”, Hyunjin asked, looking in Changbin’s eyes. The older smiled, eyes filled with tears.

“Of course I will. I’m sorry if you didn’t know what we were, my last relationship wounded me so much I was scared that you wouldn’t want to date me, so I didn’t ask, even if I knew I was being a dumbass.”

“My dumbass”, Hyunjin said and they laughed.

They enjoyed dinner to talk about everything. Hyunjin complaining about how hard it was to get an internship and Changbin asking if he needed some help. Then they talked about their week, their plans as a couple, some more love confessions and sapiness. Changbin was glowing and Hyunjin felt happier than ever. If he knew he would be this happy just from being able to call the older boy his boyfriend, he would have asked him a while ago.

“Love, this was supposed to be a surprise for the near future, but I kinda want to spoil it now. Do you want to come with me somewhere special?”, Changbin asked when they got back to the car.

“Sure”, Hyunjin answered hesitantly. Changbin laughed.

“I swear it’s nothing bad or haunted. It’s just a surprise”, and with them, they drove to a fancy neighborhood, full of skyrising buildings, apartments so expensive Hyunjin couldn’t even comprehend how someone had that much money. And also so pretty. Hyunjin was looking outside the window at all those beautiful places, mixing modern with classic architecture style, some more green friendly than others and thinking about how much he wanted to project something like that someday.

Soon, Changbin was entering a garage at one of those classic and green friendly buildings, he had the garage car keys. Hyunjin thought for a second that they were going to visit his parents or his sister. 

In the elevator, Changbin pressed the button to one of the last floors and when they reached the floor, Changbin opened the door to an obscenely gigantic apartment. One of the walls was a massive window and they were so high Hyunjin could see almost the entire city. 

The place was sparsely decorated, just one couch that was too small for the space, and one TV. Hyunjin walked towards the window, Changbin hugging him from behind.

“My parents gave me this place on my 18th birthday, but I never moved in. I wanted some freedom and the feeling that I could conquer something, not just get things they buy me. College has been nice, I like not having a roommate and having my own space, with my own shitty job and a terrible boss, but I’m graduating soon and I can’t keep pretending I’m not herding the company and that I need to start working there”, Changbin sounded sad.

“So when are you moving?”

“I need some renovations done, this place used to be my dad’s and there’s still so much of him in all of these rooms and walls. I’m gonna need some help, and a very incredible architect, who only ever gets straight A’s and I know it’s the best at college to help me, do you know someone?”, Changbin turned Hyunjin.

“Baby, I don’t even have a job.”

“Yet. Let me help you, Jin. My dad knows the owner of the best architecture offices in town, they were going to work on the renovations already, but I want you to sign the project. You know what I like and I know we can work together to make this place perfect for us”

“For us?”, Hyunjin whispered. Changbin got red, he didn’t even realize what he said.

“At some point, if you want. I know it took us ages to be together and you literally just asked me if I want to be your boyfriend, but I have this feeling that you’re right for me. I know this is sappy, but I can’t see my future and not see you there with me in those scenarios”, Changbin got more and more flustered as he spoke.

Hyunjin waited until the older was finished with his speech and kissed him hard. Changbin’s hands were in his waist and pulled him closer. The kiss was filled with love and want. Hyunjin wanted all that, he wanted to be with Changbin for the long run, he knew he would never find someone who matched him as well as the older, someone who made him happier and understood. 

They moved to the couch, Changbin pulling Hyunjin to his lap, the taller straddling him. Changbin kissed him like he never had. Their kisses used to be soft, just the right amount of pressure, a shy amount of tongue and a little bit of touching in their lower halves. But now, Changbin kissed him as if Hyunjin’s lips were air and he couldn’t breath, his hands grabbing Hyunjin’s thighs and hips, Hyunjin lightly grinding back. Hyunjin’s hands tried to open the buttons on Changbin’s shirt, but he was constantly distracted by the older, who kissed his neck, his jaw, bit his ears and let his hands wander through Hyunjin’s lower half.

“Bin, more”, Hyunjin pleaded. Changbin smirked.

“I know this place has almost no furniture, but my bedroom has a bed”, Changbin said while kissing his neck.

“Please”, Hyunjin stood up and Changbin guided him through the massive apartment.

Changbin had, indeed, a bed. A king sized bed with black silk sheets. Hyunjin smiled when he felt the silk in his back, his shirt discarded somewhere along the way, same as Changbin. The older straddled him this time, taking his time to see the younger boy.

“Stop staring”, Hyunjin whined.

“You’re so pretty, babe”, Changbin leaned and kissed him softly this time.

They lost the notion of time after that. Clothes were discarded, soft noises filled the room. Changbin kissed Hyunjin everywhere, enjoying how sensitive the younger boy was. His neck, chest, nipple, tummy and hips were sensitive and Hyunjin moaned when Bin just kissed him there. Hyunjin enjoyed seeing how lost Changbin got when he moved his hips the right way, loved how his skin tasted when he started sweating too. Changbin loved how Hyunjin was glowing and how loud he could get. Hyunjin loved how cuddly Changbin was once they were finished, fresh out of shower and deciding that clothes could be ignored for the rest of the night.

“Bin”, he whispered, the older boy had his head on his chest and was almost asleep.

“Hm”

“I think I’m in love with you”

Changbin smiled and looked at him, pecked him once on his lips.

“You better be, because after tonight I’m pretty sure my heart is all yours”

Hyunjin kissed him one more time. 

He has always been terrified to fall in love so fast and so hard, but with Changbin he felt the safest he ever was.

_Now_

In the rehearsals, Hyunjin never found the perfect pace to walk down the aisle. He either walked too fast or too slow, never found a rhythm that matched the song he chose, never satisfied their planner. Changbin just laughed and said “As long as he walks to me, it’s fine if he walks too fast or too slow”.

Now, though, walking down the aisle after his best friends entered, looking at Changbin crying and smiling at him with all the happiness and fondness in the world, he knew he found the perfect pace. He greeted some of their friends seated in the small chapel, some of them crying, Jeongin wiping the tears in Yeonjun’s face. 

“You look so beautiful”, Changbin whispered when Hyunjin reached him. He gave him the rose and kissed the back of his hand.

He was surprisingly calm. He looked at all his friends in the altar by their side. Chan and Felix, holding hands while Chan cried. Minho and Jisung smiled at them fondly, Seungmin was discretely crying and Wooyoung was smiling through the tears.

The ceremony began, he and Changbin didn’t let go of each other's hand one second. Changbin let some tears roll, paying attention to what their minister had to say. They agreed on a short ceremony, wanted the basics, the vows and the document signing. Ever since their engagement, when the whole world found out that Young CEO Seo Changbin was engaged to rising star architect Hwang Hyunjin, they wanted to make things small, private and intimate.

“And now, the vows”, their minister announced.

Changbin would be the first to say his vows, they decided that after Changbin stated that he would probably cry during Hyunjin’s vows and would be unable to do his speech. Very valid reason.

“Hyunjinnie'', he started, looking into Hyunjin’s eyes. He had a piece of paper in his hand, but Hyunjin knew he would have memorized the whole speech by now. “I never told you this before, and probably would die without saying, but I fell in love with you at first sight. It wasn’t when Jisung introduced you as his roommate when we still had a band, it was long before. I saw you one day at campus, you looked so soft and so cute with a beanie and your old glasses, a sweatshirt that now I know is two sizes larger than you and your old black backpack. I never forgot that look, because that day my heart decided ‘this boy is the love of your life’. When we were introduced, I fucked up”, Hyunjin and the audience laughed at that. 

“No, I’m serious. I was so rude and so unbearable I thought we would never be friends. I was going through a rough time with my family and you were just so nice and so pretty, my heart couldn’t take it. I know that I apologized for that years ago, but just remembering how I could’ve lost you before you were even mine just made me realize that I was a dumbass and I’m sorry. But the universe, it works in mysterious ways, because we became friends, even after you thought I had a crush on Seungmin”, Seungmin gasped at that. Hyunjin never told him about his assumptions. 

“Everytime someone asks me ‘since when the two of you are together’ and I answer ‘since our first kiss’, most people don’t get it. But it's true. Since the first time we kissed, I knew you ruined every other relationship I might’ve had, because no one in this world could make me happier than you do. I know not everything has been easy, some things were really, really rough, but never once I thought we couldn’t overcome it and get out of it stronger. Not once, in all of these 10 years, I doubted you were the one for me. Thank you for being the love of my life and the one person who taught me what love means. I love you more and more everyday, and I can’t wait to tell you this for the rest of our lives”, he was crying again. Hyunjin knew it was technically not protocol, but he hugged him, kissed his temple and whispered that he loved him too. 

His friends were crying and the audience too. Yeonjun was sobbing, the entire chapel could hear him crying. Jeongin desperately tried to make his best friend behave, but Yeonjun just mumbled “they are so in love” and cried more. Changbin laughed at the boy.

“Hyunjin, your turn”, their minister announced.

Hyunjin cleared his throat, for the first time feeling a little nervous. “Changbin, I still can not believe our paths brought us here. I still can’t believe that we are actually getting married and that I found the love of my life and that this is all real and not just a dream. Some days it’s harder to believe this is reality than others. Waking up next to you for the past 5 years still feels like a dream, and coming home to you, most of the nights, still feels like a white girl’s fantasy, where her perfect boyfriend is there cooking her dinner”, the audience laughed. 

“In this past decade, I’ve learned so much about everything. I learned about love and second chances, about patience, about living and letting go, about forgiveness and redemption. I’ve seen a different world with you, learned so much about people and how incredible life can be. In this past decade, I questioned a lot of things that I believed, I wondered so many times if I was doing the right decision, but never once I questioned if being with you was the right choice, because I always knew it was”, Changbin was crying again. 

“Ever since we actually met, I’ve always felt like you were the one for me, I’ve always felt like you were the right person and I couldn’t see my life without you. And I still can’t, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to imagine what life is without you. You’re my sunshine, you’re the one that keeps me grounded and you’re the rational part of the two of us. You’re so smart and so dedicated and I can’t avoid falling in love with you more and more everyday. Ever since we met, I know what all love songs tried to explain and I get it now why people started wars for love. I love you with all my heart and all that I am, and I hope I can tell you this everyday forever. You’re the love of my life, Seo Chanbgin”, Hyunjin concluded, silent tears streaming down his face.

“They are so in love, Innie, they are so in love” Yeonjun was balling again, the whole chapel laughed.

“And now, I declare you, Hwang Hyunjin and you, Seo Changbin, husbands. You may kiss the groom”, their minister said.

Changbin held Hyunjin’s waist and Hyunjin leaned in. They’ve done that numerous times, kissing was second nature to them, but kissing now that they were officially married felt different, it felt like something new, and Hyunjin loved it.

_5 years ago_

“Jinnie, was this the last box?”

“Yeah, we’re all done”, Hyunjin said from inside the apartment, now mobiliated and decorated, but full of boxes everywhere.

It was official, Hyunjin and Changbin were moving in together. Since Hyunjin’s last year in college, the older tried to convince him to move in with him, but Hyunjin insisted he needed to live on his own first to know if he could manage an apartment like Changbin’s. 

The plan worked at the same time it failed massively. Hyunjin got a cute apartment near the office he worked at, but he spent so much time in Changbin’s apartment that their doorman already thought he lived there. And the same could be said of Changbin, who spent entire weeks living in Hyunjin’s place to the point he knew most of his neighbors. They saw each other pretty much everyday, if they couldn’t stay at each other’s places, they would meet for lunch or dinner. 

Hyunjin was still working at the same architecture office that remodelated Changbin’s apartment, being effusively praised by his bosses by his view on the remodeling and the decoration. Changbin’s apartment looked like a whole new place and it was so him, with dark woods in the living room, dark carpets and plants, but it also had bits of Hyunjin, with light walls, golden decoration and linen sheets. 

Hyunjin didn’t even notice it while he was creating the project, but he really was building a house for him and Changbin. Changbin noticed that when the walls were being painted, the same light colors that decorated Hyunjin’s apartment and they made love in the living room, with Changbin saying how perfect Hyunjin was.

Now they were finally moving in together, Hyunjin and his boxes of clothes, books and work material. No furniture or decoration needed, because all Changbin had was already Hyunjin approved. 

“We can leave your clothes in the closet, the organizers will come tomorrow. I already left half of the closet free for you, but it is a mess”, Changbin said, putting the box on the floor.

“Thanks love. Will we really pretend we don’t use each other’s clothes all the time? I’m pretty sure this cardigan you’re wearing was mine 3 years ago”, Hyunjin kissed him.

“It was, I stole it after you left it here one night”, Changbin hugged him. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

“I’m happy too. I’m sorry it took us too long to live together.”

“It’s okay, I’m used to us taking our time to make big decisions. That’s why I did a very impulsive decision yesterday and I want you to meet it.”

“What impulsive decision, Seo Changbin?”, Hyunjin asked, quirking his eyebrow.

“Relax, babe. It’s not bad. I guess. It’s in our bedroom”

“You’re really bad at surprises, I’m scared”, Hyunjin said, climbing up the stairs to their master bedroom.

He heard soft noises inside the bedroom and stared at Changbin. “Is it what I think it is?”

“Open the door, love”, Changbin was smiling brightly now.

Hyunjin opened the door, and a small black and white creature left it, smelling his legs and staring at him with curious eyes. A puppy.

“I know you missed having pets and we were always talking about getting a dog in the future, but I saw him at an adoption center yesterday and I just felt like it was the right time. He doesn’t have a name yet, I wanted you to name him, but yeah. Impulsive and very, very cute decision”, the puppy was now in Hyunjin’s arms and Changbin petted his head.

“I love you so much”, Hyunjin was crying.

He missed having pets, he always had dogs growing up and ever since college he was petless. Now, he had a small and very affectionate creature in his arms and he was overflowing with happiness, from the small puppy and the man smiling at him.

“We can call him Link, he looks like a Link”, Hyunjin thought.

“He’s way too cute to be a Link”, Chanbgin laughed.

“True, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to destroy this house if given the chance, so it seems fitting”

Changbin laughed a bit more and agreed. Link liked the name, his small tail wiggling everytime Changbin or Hyunjin called him from somewhere in the house. Hyunjin could get used to this, his little family in a house full of love.

_4 years ago_

“Babe, can you answer the phone?”, Changbin was almost asleep on their couch, head in Hyunjin’s chest and Link curled on his legs.

“Sure”, Hyunjin got his cellphone. It was almost midnight and Felix was calling. That was weird. “Hey, Lix”.

Felix didn’t answer right away, crying hard and unable to catch air. “Hey, hey, Lix, breath”, Hyunjin was getting up. It was so long since he heard Felix crying so much.

“Jin, we broke up. I don’t have where to go”, he was crying harder now.

“What? Oh baby, where are you? Do you need me to come catch you?”, Changbin was now up too, he was getting his keys and a jacket for him and Hyunjin.

“I’m still at our place. He left for a walk a while ago, but I don’t want to be here when he gets home”, Felix was crying a bit less.

“Okay, me and Binnie are coming, don’t move, we’ll be there in 15 minutes.”

Hyunjin rushed to Changbin, Link on the couch confused as to why his dads were running out of the door. Hyunjin was silent on the elevator ride, Changbin hugging him.

“This is so weird, I never thought they would break up”, Hyunjin said.

“Me neither. I talked to Chan three days ago and he said things were good with Lix.”

“I talk to Felix everyday and he never mentioned problems with Chan, I’m scared to know what happened to them”, they reached the car, Changbin driving while Hyunjin texted Felix.

Chan was back home, but they were not on speaking terms, but Felix said things were okay. He didn’t want to say what happened, but his backpack with clothes and toiletry for the night were ready.

When they reached the house, the lights were on and things seemed so normal, just like they always were. Hyunjin texted Felix saying they were there and the door opened immediately, Felix coming out of the door and climbing into the car. Hyunjin moved to the back seat, so Felix was hugging him for dear life and crying.

Even though Changbin was Chan’s childhood best friend, he decided to take the younger two home and then talk to Chan about what happened. He couldn’t leave the car to Hyunjin to drive when he knew the other was distressed. 

The ride back home was filled with Felix tears, the younger boy unable to stop crying. Hyunjin got him into their guest bedroom while Changbin went to their balcony to call Chan.

“What happened, baby?”, Hyunjin was now laying on the bed with Felix clinging to him for dear life.

“So much happened, Jin. Things were pilling for the last few months, but I thought we could manage them, but we couldn’t. He’s working so much, he barely has time for me, and that’s fine, I know how much he loves his job and how much it means to him, but he always has time for his coworkers. Two months ago a girl called him asking if he could come over and help her with something at her place, it was a weekend and he promised me he would be home so we could spend some time together, and he went. He went to her place and he stayed there for so long, he didn’t answer my texts and I got worried. I know he would never cheat on me, but his heart is way too big for his own good, you know. Then, she just kinda started asking him to go over so frequently and he always said ‘I can’t say no, Lix, she’s new here, she needs help’”, Felix was crying again. “But then tonight was the last straw. When I got home from work, she was there, Jinnie, and she was flirting so openly with him and he didn’t even notice. They were having dinner, at my house, and he didn’t bother telling me she was coming over. And the worst part is that, when I got home, she had the audacity to ask me who I was”.

“What a bitch”, Hyunjin said.

“Yes! I just looked at Chan while he explained that I was his boyfriend and she was like ‘oh, what a waste, you’re so pretty Chan, you should be with someone who suited you’, and he didn’t say anything. He was just shocked at her and I had enough, you know. I kindly, I swear, I kindly asked her to leave and she did with a smile. And then me and Chan just got into this massive mess and we said so many hurtful things to each other, Jin. He told me I was being a child, that he would have answered her but he was just surprised because she was so nice to him, and when I told him she was just being nice because she wanted him to fuck her he got mad at me. And then I said we were done and I called you”, he was sobbing now.

“Oh baby, I’m so sorry. Chan is the kindest person in the world, but he’s so dumb sometimes”, Felix snorted at that. “You’re welcome to stay over for as long as you need, but don’t you think you should talk to him when you’re feeling calmer?”

“Jin, I don’t know. I don’t know if this is a situation I can just ignore for the sake of being with him. He didn’t defend me, he actively chose her over me several times, we were drifting apart and he didn’t even care. I love him with my whole heart, but I know I deserve more than what he’s giving me”, Felix said.

“That’s fair. You can stay here, you can shower and you can have Link make you company tonight if you want”, Felix nodded at that. “Do you want to eat something? I can cook you dinner, I think you didn’t eat before this clusterfuck.”

“I’m hungry, but I don’t want to bother you, Jin, you’re already doing so much.”

“You’re my best friend, Lix, it’s never a bother, baby”, he kissed his forehead and moved to the kitchen. Changbin was sitting in their living room, head in his hands and deep in thought. Hyunjin moved closer to him, kissing the top of his head and hugging his boyfriend.

“This is a mess”, Changbin muttered and Hyunjin nodded. “Chan is so dumb he doesn’t even know how bad he messed up”

“I told Lix he could stay with us for as long as he needs, he doesn’t want to go back to their place”, Hyunjin said.

“You think they’re done for good?”, Changbin asked. Hyunjin nodded. “Fuck, I never thought I would see the day Chan and Lix would break up.”

“Me neither. But shit happens. I’m gonna make Lix some dinner, he didn’t eat before they broke up. Do you want something?”

“No, just maybe knowing that you love me and that we’re good”, Changbin whispered. Hyunjin kissed him softly.

“I love you, we’re more than good, love. Go to bed, you’re sleepy, I’ll take care of Lixie.”

“Okay. I love you.”

Felix stayed in their place for almost a week. Despite Changbin and Chan being like brothers, Changbin ended up being protective of Felix in that situation and told Chan to fix things. He knew the two of them were done for now, but they still had to talk and Felix still had to go back home and pack his things. 

During the week he stayed over, Jisung and Seungmin also came to visit almost everyday. Jisung announced he got a job in a different city, 5 hours away, and that he and Minho were moving away. Minho was on a break from his dancing career after he injured his waist and needed some time to heal, so the move was going to be good.

Felix would stay in their old apartment, they couldn’t bring all the furniture and decoration anyways. They would move by the end of the month, and Felix was going to be Seungmin’s roommate for a little while. 

The four of them got drunk one night and cried thinking about all the changes that were happening so fast, Felix saying he never thought he and Chan would break up and Jisung confessing that Minho wasn’t coping that well with being injured, being a bit more snarky than usual and Jisung was scared they would break up too. Seungmin said he was tired of being alone, but he was always so busy that he couldn’t afford to have a relationship, but coming home to an empty house was miserable. Hyunjin cried saying that he wished all his friends could be happy again and they ended up falling asleep in his bed. (Changbin had watched the whole scene unfold, covered then with a warm and fluff comforter and then went to sleep in another guest room with a heavy heart).

Watching Felix go and Jisung and Minho moving away was tough. They all had a small party and helped the two of them packing their stuff, Felix avoiding Chan the entire day and Hyunjin and Seungmin babysitting him to make sure he wouldn’t get too drunk. Jeongin, now an official part of the group, was watching the whole mess confused, and Changbin just adopted him for the day while Jisung remembered all the things that happened in that apartment and Minho fondly laughed at him.

When things seemed to get a little better, Changbin had to take over the company. His father was retiring and Changbin was deemed ready to take on all the responsibility. Hyunjin also accepted the biggest project of his career, working extra hours almost everyday and coming home to a sleepy Changbin on their couch. The two of them were so extremely exhausted on a daily basis that conversations seemed impossible, but they compensated with cuddles and kisses.

Even with a long time relationship, their 6th anniversary just around the corner, the two of them have always been extremely discreet with that. Hyunjin’s social media had no photos of Changbin and Changbin’s account was private. They knew from the beginning that, with Changbin destined to be a prominent figure in the business world, they couldn’t afford to publicly display their relationship or they would be scrutinized for it. Changbin’s sister was constantly on the news for her boyfriends and Changbin avoided that kind of attention at all costs.

Until the day he couldn’t. When Changbin and Hyunjin were getting lunch one day at a restaurant they were used to going and could always get a private table, a photographer saw them holding hands. Hyunjin wasn’t as famous as Changbin, but people knew him in his field. He was always on specialized architecture magazines, he worked for the biggest stars in the city and was landing massive projects. 

Seeing the two of them together was explosive. Magazines sold out in hours, demanding explanations as to how young CEO Seo Changbin was going out with Hwang Hyunjin and social media exploded after the two of them released statements saying they had been together for 6 years and appreciated if people could respect their privacy. 

But no, that was just too much to ask. Changbin’s credibility was at risk, some partners wondering if they could still make business with a gay guy and Hyunjin had to avoid reporters and photographers everywhere he went. Changbin agreed to one interview where he stated, loud and clear, that he had always been gay and that absolutely nothing changed now that people knew that, and if someone had any type of problem with that, then he was the one who didn’t want business with them, and that he was very much in love with Hyunjin.

Hyunjin also had to give several interviews to explain that he was not with Changbin for interest and he was not a gold digger (one interviewer actually asked him that). He told about how he met Changbin in college and he used to be a barista, Hyunjin was his biggest tipper and they had been good friends before being together. Hyunjin highlighted several times that he accomplished things on his own, Changbin did help introducing him to his former boss, but he got the job on his own, opened his own office on his own and won all his awards through his hard work and the endless support of his loving boyfriend. 

Their reputation was salvaged after that interview, Changbin becoming even more powerful after that, even if their privacy was ruined. Hyunjin never had a good relationship with his in-laws, but after the whole storm, Changbin’s parents seemed to warm up a bit more. 

It was weird being unable to go anywhere without privacy, even their friends had been on the public eye now, but Hyunjin knew that as long as he had Changbin with him along the way, things would be alright.

_2 years ago_

____

____

Hyunjin absolutely loved London. The city was always great to visit, he even got to work here once, so walking down the streets of Chelsea felt comfortable and homey.

He and Changbin agreed they needed a little vacation but neither were in the vibe of a warm summery beach for now. They decided to go to London, where Hyunjin had recently bought a small getaway house, and spend a few weeks there with Link and their new puppy, Isabelle, a golden retriever. Private jets were good for pets, since Link was loud and hated flying almost as much as Changbin.

Hyunjin had gone on a little shopping spree, needing new coats and clothes for the cold weather, while Changbin insisted on cooking them dinner. Changbin loved to cook for Hyunjin, and loved seeing his reaction when the food he made was great. 

Coming home with a bunch of bags and gifts for their pets wasn’t new. Changbin was in the kitchen, black shirt and a cute plaid pant, baking them dessert.

“This looks so good, babe”, Hyunjin said, hugging Changbin from behind. “Is it chocolate mousse?”

“Yep, I’m trying a new recipe. Want to try?”, Changbin gave him a small spoon with the mixture, studying Hyunjin’s reactions. Hyunjin moaned, the chocolate mousse was so rich and the texture was perfect. Changbin seemed satisfied with his reaction and kissed him.

“This is perfect, probably the best dessert you made so far”, Hyunjin tried to steal another spoon, but Changbin intercepted his attack. Strong arms lifted him and seated him on the counter, Hyunjin whining the entire time. Changbin laughed at his demeanor and kissed him. Making out and going further on the kitchen wasn’t new for them, God knows they desecrated almost every inch of their apartment, but Changbin was kissing him so tenderly Hyunjin couldn’t help but melt in his embrace.

“Why are you so cute today?”, Hyunjin asked.

“I just love you, and I love pampering you, and I love being with you and being able to spend all my time with you”, Changbin answered, his lips in Hyunjin’s cheeks.

“I love you too”, Hyunjin kissed him.

“Go get a shower, dinner will be ready soon”, Changbin said, pulling the younger out of the counter.

Hyunjin kissed him one more time and went to their bathroom to take a shower. Changbin had his romantic moods, where he got so cute and dedicated that Shakespeare could write an entire piece about him. There were days where Hyunjin got to work and received boxes of his favorite pastries for breakfast, days where he got back to a house filled of flowers, nights when Changbin and him drove for hours mindlessly just because the two of them enjoyed it and sometimes they ended up at the beach before sunrise. Changbin gave him the moon and the stars, tried his best to make sure Hyunjin was always happy, and Hyunjin did the same. 

Hyunjin had the feeling that this day was one of those, and he could bet that the second he went back to their dining room, there would be candles and flowers, just like Changbin did on many other occasions. 

He chose one of Changbin’s sweaters to wear, he knew how much the older liked seeing him in his clothes. Their bodies were completely different, Changbin being short and muscular and Hyunjin lean and tall, but they exchanged clothes since the beginning of their relationship, buying clothes they knew wouldn’t suit them but would suit their lover. 

As he walked out of their bedroom, he saw the candles and flowers, the house smelling like pasta and meat. He found Changbin in the kitchen, finishing their plates and kissed him again.

“You’re spoiling the surprise, Jin”, Changbin said, but didn’t try to push the taller away.

“I couldn’t not come over to kiss you when you’re being so cute,”

“You deserve it, babe”, Changbin smiled. “Now go to the dining room and stop trying to spoil dinner.”

And so he went. Changbin served pasta, roasted meat and red wine. They talked about London, the shopping spree, their plans back at home, work and about Chan and Felix getting to talk again. Chan seeked forgiveness the whole time, but Felix said he needed some time to reflect on himself as well. So much changed during that time, with Chan moving out from their previous house to an apartment, Felix adopting a dog and finding a new boyfriend (he was a nice guy, even Chan liked Eric). They weren’t close friends, but they were still in each other’s lives somehow.

But now, with Minho and Jisung coming back home, things were slowly changing. Seungmin got a boyfriend, a nice pediatrician called Beomgyu, Jeongin had a girlfriend and Felix was able to afford his dream apartment. Chan was invited to the house opening and he and Felix had a heartwarming conversation about how much things changed. Chan was promoted and was now a boss, a very influential and powerful boss and still very much in love with Felix. And Felix was one of the countries top designers, with his work displayed everywhere and very much willing to admit he never stopped loving his first boyfriend. They were taking things slowly, agreed to being friends before trying to jump into a relationship right away.

“There’s so much happening, I’m glad things are working out in the end”, Hyunjin said.

“Me too. I’m happy about Chan and Lix, I’m proud of Chan for holding up all this time, I thought he was going to have a nervous breakdown when Lix dated Eric.”

“Same, but I’m glad Lix stopped being a stubborn kid and decided to give Chan another chance. He almost caved when Chan called him when it marked one year since their break up, but he felt like it wasn’t the right time.”

“How do we even know when is the right time to do something?”, Changbin asked while serving them the mousse.

“I don’t know, maybe we get a feeling about it. Maybe the universe just started sending constant signs to make you realize it, it was like this when I asked you to be my boyfriend”, Hyunjin answered, moaning again when tasting the mousse.

“Yeah? What signs did you receive?”

“There were just so many couples everywhere, and they were all so cute. Then, Instagram’s algorithm started showing me ring ads and the boys were always calling you my boyfriend and most of the time I didn’t even correct them. So, I don’t know, I had a lot of opportunities to make it at the right time, there were a lot of signs”, Changbin hummed with the answer.

“You know, we never gave each other rings”, Changbin said.

“No, but you gave me enough jewelry, everybody knew that the necklaces with the golden hearts were yours”, Hyunjin laughed.

“That’s true, but you know why I never gave you a ring?”

“No, why?”

“My mother always told me that you should only ever give someone a ring when it was a special moment. My dad gave my mother a ring when they started dating, then when he proposed and another one when my sister was born. All her friends had dozens of rings and they were always talking about how much they cost, how many diamonds they had and stuff like that. When I was born, my dad gave my mom two rings, one for me being born, and another because that was the moment my dad realized my mom was the woman of his dreams and he was so happy with all they accomplished, their little family and everything”, Changbin sat closer to Hyunjin.

“I had multiple occasions to give you a ring. So many I can’t even count, because every moment with you is special and I realize everyday how much I love you, all the things we accomplished and our small family. I realized I wasted so many opportunities to tell you this, to tell you how happy you make me feel and how much I love you. I know we do a lot for each other, but I lost time to mark all the times you made me fall in love again and again with you during all those years”, Hyunjin held his hands.

“Binnie, you didn’t waste anything. I know how special our moments are”. Changbin smiled at him and got down on one knee.

“I know, love. After last year and with everything that is going on, I realized that, even if I wasted time before to mark our special moments, I don’t want to waste this one”, he pulled a red silk box from under the table. “Hwang Hyunjin, you make every single second of my life so special and I don’t think I knew what happiness meant before I met you. I love you and how smart and dedicated you are, how you’re always trying to make me smile and how much you care for all of our friends, your clients and employees. I love how you bring color to this world and how you’re always helping me every step of the way. I grew up so much from just being with you, thank you for making my life so, so special and for making me so fulfilled. I knew since the first time you woke up by my side that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, and every morning waking up next to you, I fell more and more in love with you. I realized I don’t want to just call you my boyfriend or my partner anymore, because you’re so much more than that, what we are is so much more complex than that, I want to be able to call you my husband and tell everybody that I’m married to you”, he had tears running down his face, but his voice was still stable.

“So, will you, Hwang Hyunjin, marry me?”

“Yes. A million times yes!”, Hyunjin was crying.

Hyunjin got on the floor and kissed Changbin hard. They both had tears rolling free now, too happy to control their emotions. Changbin gave him the ring, a simple band studded with white diamonds. Inside the box, there was another ring, a simple golden band with two diamonds and Hyunjin gave Changbin that one. 

Their dogs, seeing their owners a crying mess on the floor, attacked them with licks and barks, making the two of them laugh.

Changbin was right. Rings were supposed to be given in special moments, and for Hyunjin, that was the most special moment of his life. 

_Now_

Changbin and Hyunjin didn’t have the habit of dancing together. In all of those 10 years together, Hyunjin remembered a few times he slow danced with Changbin in their living room or kitchen, the times they went to clubs and went crazy or grinded in the dance floor, the times he and Minho tried teaching Changbin and Jisung some moves or choreos.

I wasn’t that Changbin was a bad dancer or he didn’t like to dance, he was just shy. So when he decided he wanted to dance with Hyunjin in their wedding, Hyunjin was taken aback. The couple’s first dance has always been one of his favorite parts of a wedding, with all eyes on the happy couple living in their own world, where there was only a song they loved and each other, step by step and following the rhythm, just like their own relationship.

And now, being in Changbin’s arms while they slowly danced and turned on the dance floor, all their friends watching them and Yeonjun crying again, living their best life in their own bubble, Hyunjin fell in love once again. Despite having so many eyes on them, the only pair of eyes he could see were Changbin’s, the love of his life looking so happy. Hyunjin leaned closer, lips just above Changbin’s ear and Changbin held him tighter. He could hear their friends cooing, but he paid them no mind.

“I love you”, Hyunjin said.

“I love you more”, Changbin answered, looking up to him. By the time the song ended, the two of them were swaying and kissing. 

Hyunjin knew they had a hotel room in a fancy hotel booked for the two of them to spend the night, but neither him nor Changbin wanted to leave their wedding party. After their dance, Hyunjin danced with Felix, Jisung and Seungmin. He even danced with Beomgyu at some point. In the other half of the room, Changbin was singing to every song with Chan and Minho, Yeonjun, Jeongin and Wooyoung joining at some point. During a Britney Spears song, Changbin, Yeonjun and Wooyoung climbed a table to perform.

Food was amazing, Hyunjin being fed all the time by Felix and Seungmin, who were worried the groom wasn’t eating enough. Changbin was being babied by Minho, who was constantly giving him water to keep him hydrated, the suit being too warm and him having way too much fun.

By the time they left for their hotel room, the concierge was already concerned the two of them wouldn’t show up to appreciate the suite, especially decorated for the night. Changbin insisted on being in charge of the room and asked for flower petals on the floor, but none on the bed, red wine and candles in safe places.

The bed had silk sheets, Hyunjin absolutely loved the feeling of silk sheets on his naked skin and the bathtub was warm and filled with bubbles. The two of them agreed on taking a bath before anything, too sweaty and feeling too warm to engage in any physical activity now.

Hyunjin undressed while Changbin got them two glasses of wine. The water was perfect, Hyunjin sighed when he got comfortable. Changbin was smiling as he leant down to kiss him and give him his wine, moving to get undressed.

That was a very familiar scene for the two of them. Changbin taking off his suit, opening the bottoms of his dress shirt and Hyunjin telling how beautiful he was. Hyunjin was watching attentively, giving his husband all the attention he could while Changbin got undressed.

“Babe, stop staring!”, Changbin joked.

“I can’t, the view is so pretty. You’re so pretty, Bin.”

“That’s because you can’t see yourself. You’re the prettiest man I have ever seen and I can’t believe I’m now married to you”, he said as he joined Hyunjin in the tub. Hyunjin fell into him, kissing him softly.

“And I can’t believe I’m married to you.”

They kissed again, softly at first, but the happiness, the love and the desire made the kiss escalate, Hyunjin climbing on Changbin’s lap and Changbin feeling his husband’s body. Hyunjin knew how much Changbin loved his legs, even if he was the one with the strongest and more defined one’s. Changbin loved taking his time to worship the muscles, kissing and biting Hyunjin’s thighs to the point he knew he couldn’t wear shorts for the next week. 

In the tub, Changbin was feeling him up, from his thighs to his ass, to his waist and his shoulders, feeling the younger shivering under him while kissing his jaw, his neck and his chest. 

“We were supposed to be cleaning up, Bin”, Hyunjin pointed out. Changbin laughed, squeezing his things one last time before standing up holding Hyunjin and carefully walking to the shower. They tried to wash the best they could, hands still feeling each other up and kissing everywhere they could reach. Changbin tried to stop Hyunjin from falling to his knees, but the view of the younger looking up to him to see if he was being good made him forget all his protests.

On the way back to their room, Hyunjin had to carry Changbin bridal style to their bed, his legs still feeling like jelly after the younger sucked the life out of him.

“Are we still good to go or do you want to call the night?”, Hyunjin asked while stradling the older.

“If you seriously think I’m done with you after your little stunt, then you really don’t know the man you married”, Changbin said while pulling Hyunjin down. Hyunjin smiled into the kiss and grinded down, making Changbin growl.

They had all the time in the world, and they surely used it. One time, it was Hyunjin on top of Changbin and in the next it was Changbin climbing on top of him. They kissed and smiled and confessed their love all the time. Hyunjin glistening with sweat have always been one of Changbin’s favorite looks of the younger and Changbin’s whines and moans were Hyunjin’s favorite sounds. 

Hyunjin wasn’t sure how many rounds he lasted, but by the time he fell asleep on Changbin’s chest, exhausted and fully sated, he knew he made the best decision of his life and couldn’t wait for the rest of his life.

_2 years later_

“She’s so small, I’m afraid I might break her”, Jisung whispered while looking at the kid in the bed.

“She’s fragile, Sung, but she won’t break if you carry her”, Hyunjin said, taking the sleepy baby from her bed and adjusting her on his best friend's arms.

“She’s so small”, Jisung cooed, overwhelmed with how cute the baby was.

“She is”, Minho agreed, playing with the child’s hair.

All of their friends reunited in their apartment to meet Haeun, Changbin and Hyunjin’s daughter. The adoption process took forever, with countless small issues, but after more than a year waiting, the little girl was finally home.

Changbin wanted to adopt an older kid, but when they saw Haeun, at the time a baby, playing with a stuffed animal in a cradle, he knew he found the child he would give his life to protect. He and Hyunjin always wanted a family, and after their wedding, their plans have gotten more and more serious.

Haeun was still asleep, their friends arriving at their house way too early for the child’s taste, but as soon as Minho started playing with her hair, she woke up. Hyunjin had told the girl their friends would visit to meet her, but she was still surprised when she saw so many eyes on her.

Minho and Jisung introduced themselves to the girl, who smiled and said hi. Felix and Chan were soon after, the girl asking to be carried by Felix, mesmerized by his freckles. Jeongin was playing with her hands while Seungmin and Beomgyu made cute noises to her. 

Changbin and Hyunjin watched as their friends gave the girl gifts, a lot of dresses and stuffed animals, glitters and slimes and smiled as she laughed every time she saw something she liked. So far, in the weeks Haeun have been home, Hyunjin and Changbin were surprised with how calm she was and how easy it was to distract her with shiny and glittery things.

Haeun didn’t cry often and she was polite, but they knew her uncles would spoil her rotten and they were scared if they would try and teach her some tricks to either get her dads angry or agree with whatever she wanted. Hyunjin thought it was hard enough to tell her no as it was. 

The boys spent the day playing with the girl. She wanted to play hide and seek with Felix, climbed Jisung over and over and laughed every time someone did silly voices while talking to her. By 8PM, the little girl was beyond exhausted and asleep in Minho’s arms.

“She’s so sweet, you guys chose the cutest girl”, Chan said. 

“She really is. She’s a little angel”, Hyunjin said with loving eyes.

“Do you want me to take her to her bedroom?”, Changbin asked. Minho stood up and the two of them carried the little girl away.

“You look really happy, Jin”, Jisung said.

“I am. I really am”, Hyunjin said.

Hyunjin had found all the pieces of his puzzle, his happiness full and clear. He had a good job, a lovely and perfect husband, an incredible daughter and two old dogs who were still the cutest. 

Hyunjin never thought it was humanly possible to be so happy, but he was.


End file.
